Abstract
Effects of dietary folate deficiency on the fatty acid composition of myelin cerebroside in growing rats were studied. In non-hydroxy fatty acids, an average ratio of 24:1/24:0 was 1.27 in control rats and 0.87 in folate deficient rats, respectively.
In hydroxy-fatty acids, a significant decrease in both Ch24:0 and Ch24:1 was observed in folate deficient rats. These results indicate that folio acid may play a certain role in desaturation and/or hydroxylation of long chain fatty acids in the brain of growing rats.
